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Wednesday,
June 19, 2002, Chandigarh, India  
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Poor response to BJP meeting Dhumal: govt committed to upliftment of farmers Kufri to have zoo
hospital 24 passengers left in lurch |
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MC dumping waste into Yamuna Balraj Sahni award for TR Sharma Sabha chief: CM has hurt Rajputs Scooterist killed in mishap
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Poor response to BJP meeting Shimla, June 18 Besides the council delegates from 68 assembly constituencies, all ministers, Members of Parliament, legislators, chairpersons of the various boards and corporations and members of the state executive were also invited to the meeting. However, only half of them turned up. Prominent among those who failed to make it to the meeting included Dr Rajan Sushant, Mr Krishan Kapoor, Mr Hari Narayan Singh, Mr Ramesh Dhwala, Mr R.D. Kashyap, Mr Narinder Bragta, all ministers, Mr Suresh Chandel, Mr Maheswar Singh and Mr Suresh Bhardwaj, all MPs, and several legislators. All four ministers who revolted against the leadership of Mr P.K. Dhumal, Chief Minister, were conspicuous by their absence. The poor response to a crucial meeting, specially convened to chalk out strategy for the Assembly elections only indicates that all is not well with the party. It appears that the party has over the past five years failed to recover from the impact “Jawalamukhi episode” which caused a split in the organisation. The central leadership may have succeeded in bringing the arch rivals Mr Dhumal and Mr Shanta Kumar, Union Minister for Consumer Affairs, but the rank and file is still hopelessly
devided. This is quite evident from the “mitra milans” being organised by the disgruntled partymen in various districts. Apparently seized of the problems plaguing the party, Mr Kohli also called upon the senior leaders to set things right. He spoke at length on the issue of corruption and cited the example of Punjab where the party was routed on this issue. He said how so impressive be the achievements of the party, the people would not condone corruption. He went to the extent of saying that the party should not be allowed to become a carbon copy of the Congress. His speech was significant as not only the Opposition has levelled serious allegations of corruption against some senior ministers but also the four rebel BJP ministers who virtually brought out a charge sheet against the Dhumal government during a rebellion last year. A political resolution adopted at the meeting highlighted achievements of the government on the development front and its success in securing a special assistance of Rs 1,200 crore from the Centre. The party thanked the Vajpayee government for according the status of Scheduled Tribes to Gaddis and Gujjars of Kangra district. It defended the government tendency to frequently reverse its decisions and said it was acting as per the wishes of the people. The rollback in power tariff hike and water charges had indeed provided relief to the people. The resolution further said the party would make corruption of the previous Congress government an issue in the election and mentioned the alleged land-grab cases involving Mr Virbhadra Singh, the Congress legislator party leader, in this regard. The party demanded prompt action in these cases. |
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14 BJP men quit party Bilaspur, June 18 Addressing mediapersons at the local Circuit House this afternoon, the leaders said they had resigned in protest against an alleged conspiracy to tarnish the image of a prominent BJP leader of the Kotkehloor Assembly constituency, Mr Krishan Kumar Kaushal. They said they were shocked over the removal of Mr Kaushal, a former MLA from the directorship and chairmanship of Himachal Cooperative Bank. Along with Kotkehloor BJP Mandal senior vice-president Chetram Sharma and senior most mandal member Bachitar Singh, those who resigned from the party comprised Dr Dharampal, president, Gram Panchayat, Swahan, Ms Rameshwari Devi, president, Gram Panchayat, Tahli-Jagatkhana, Mr Achharram Chauhan, a block development committee member, Lehadi-Tarscoh, Mr Roshan Lal Sharma, a BDC member, Saikharashi, Mr Mahesh Kumar Sharma, general secretary, BJP Shakti Kendra, Bassi, Mr Krishan Singh Thakur, chairman, Shakti Kendra, Namhole, Mr Baburam Thakur, vice-president, Gram Panchayat, Kallar, Mr Baburam Thakur, vice-president, Gram Panchayat, Rajpura, Mr Prem Lal, vice-president, Gram Panchayat, Behal, Mr Rooplal Dhiman, a former president, Gram Panchayat, Kotala, and Mr Shashipal, a former BDC member, and Mr Jeet Singh, a BDC member, Behal. |
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Dhumal: govt committed to upliftment of farmers Solan, June 18 Speaking on the occasion, he reiterated his government’s resolve to work for the economic uplift of the poor farmers. Despite impressive achievements made by his government in the fields of agriculture and horticulture “a lot still remained to be done”, he said. Mr Dhumal said his government would go all out in diversifying both agriculture and horticulture in the state with a view to improve the state’s farm economy. Results had indicated that grapes grown in Himachal Pradesh would outclass the ones grown in Maharashtra in taste and yield quantum. Similarly trials to grow geranium and lavender flowers for the extraction of their oil had shown promising results. While geranium oil fetched a price of Rs 3,500 per kg that of lavender netted in a price of Rs 6,500 per kg with buyers offering to buy virtually limitless quantities of these aromatic oils, Mr Dhumal said. The government had also directed the state’s three universities to focus research in harnessing the bio-diversity wealth of the state with special emphasis on securing and safeguarding patent rights. Healthy apple root stock, recently imported by the government, would soon start replacing the existing ones. Claiming that his government was the first ever to have kept all its poll promises, Mr Dhumal detailed the steps taken by his government for the amelioration of the farmer’s lot during its four-and-a-half-years rule. In addition to granting subsidies on insecticides and fertilisers and support prices to a large variety of fruits and vegetables, the government had decided to give a subsidy of Rs 30,000 on the cost of Rs 90,000 of each power tiller sold in the state to Himachali farmers. State BJP President Jai Kishan Sharma, Agriculture Minister Vidya Sagar, Chairman, Marketing Board, Virendra Kashyap and local MLA Rajiv Bindal also spoke. Health Minister J.P. Nadda, Excise and Taxation and Sports Minister Parveen Sharma were among other present on the occasion. |
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Kufri to have zoo
hospital Shimla, June 18 The first zoo hospital of the state is being set up at the Himalayan Nature Park, Kufri, near here, with funds being made available by the Central Zoo Authority. The abject lack of veterinary facilities came into sharp focus when the rare snow leopard, Rozy, died at Kufri last year. An expert committee which inquired into the death had suggested that veterinary facilities should be provided at the park itself to provide prompt treatment to sick animals. So far the department did not have any veterinary facilities. It has been depending on veterinary scientists from the agricultural university, Palampur, and veterinary officers of the Animal Husbandry Department. The hospital will have a well-equipped investigation laboratory, an examination room, an veterinary officer’s room and an animal chamber. Barring major surgical operations, all other treatment will be conducted at the hospital. Post-mortems will also be carried out. A veterinary officer trained in wildlife healthcare has already been taken on deputation. The hospital is likely to become functional by December. Some equipment has already been procured for it. The department also plans to start breeding of musk deer and monal pheasant, which is the state bird. The park has a total area of 90 hectares, but so far only 10 hectares are being used for the display of animals and there is enough space for setting up breeding centres. Simultaneously, efforts are being made to improve the facilities for tourists who visit the park. A society has been set up to manage the park. The entry fee collected from visitors will be utilised by the society for the maintenance and improvement of facilities. It has developed a camping site on the Kufri-Chail road, besides a trek to Mahasu peak. Efforts are also afoot to reduce the number of ponies at the main Kufri Bazar by developing alternative mule tracks for joy rides. There are about 400 ponies in the area because of which unhygienic conditions are created in the scenic resort. |
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24 passengers left in lurch Kangra, June 18 According to some passengers, the bus was scheduled to leave for Rampur at 3.30 p.m. The conductor of the bus who was to distribute tickets reached the counter at 3.20 p.m. He was given some money by a booking clerk of the SRTC, Jammu & Kashmir, saying that seats from No 13 to 39 had been booked for Kashmiri labourers. He further suggested him that seats from No 7 to 11 be given to another party ignoring more than 24 passengers who had been in queue since 2.30 p.m. The bus could not leave before 4.00 p.m., because one of the labourers could not be traced out. The passengers from Shimla, Ghumarwin, Hamirpur and Bilaspur had to spend night at the bus stand to catch other HRTC buses next morning. A senior journalist who travelled by the same bus talked to the Transport Minister, Mr Krishan Kapoor at Dharamshala today about the irresponsible attitude of the HRTC officials in this connection. The minister assured the journalist that he would enquire into the matter. It was suggested that a booking clerk at the bus stand should be appointed for the convenience of the passengers of HRTC buses. |
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MC dumping waste into Yamuna Paonta Sahib, June 18 According to sources the Union Government has cleared a project to clean up the Yamuna river . Project worth Rs 2220 million will be taken up in Delhi, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh. The HP State Control Board has also sent a multi-crore proposal to the Central Government for keeping the Beas, Satluj and Yamuna rivers pollution-free. Mr Naresh Khapra, Chairman of the local Municipal Committee has admitted the fact that solid waste was being dumped into Yamuna as they do not have any arrangement to dump the solid waste. He said there was a proposal costing Rs 72 lakh for solid waste treatment plant in Matrlion village, 3 km away from here. Mr Onkar Nath Sharma, Deputy Commissioner, Sirmour said he would direct the Municipal Committee to stop dumping the solid waste into the Yamuna river. |
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Balraj Sahni award for TR Sharma Shimla, June 18 The awards will be presented by Dr Suraj Bhan, Governor, here on June 23, according to Mr Sudarshan Gaur, the president of the association. Mr T.R. Sharma, has been selected for Balraj Sahni National Award for his contributions in the field of postal service, Dr O.P. Sarswat, Director, Distance Education, Himachal Pradesh University, for Literature, Dr K.K. Rattu, Assistant Station Director, Doordarshan, Shimla. Mr Prakash Lohumi, Bureau Chief, PTI, Shimla, for creative speedy journalism, Mrs Vijay Laxmi Sharma, Principal, Government College for Women, Chandigarh, for education. Mrs Sneh Lata Bhardwaj, lecturer, Adarsh Sanskrit Mahavidyalaya, Jangia for her book “Tukere Tukre”, Dr Jai Dev Retola, Medical Officer, Himachal Vidhan Sabha, for controlling various plague epidemics in the state, Mr Pardeep Aggarwal of Panchkula for orthopaedic surgery, Dolly Alhuwalia of Chandigarh for theatre and Mr Som Dutt Sharma of Chandigarh, and Mr Inder Jeet Duggal of AIR, Shimla for music and art criticism. The veteran journalist award will be conferred on Mr Vinod Kohli, Chief Sub-Editor, Dainik Tribune, Mr Ram Bagan and Rajni Bagan, of Kalka has been selected from weaker section for their outstanding services to society and performing arts. Mr Bishamber Lal Sood of Shimla will be honoured for his contribution to the promotion of national language. Mr Dev Raj, a Tribune reporter at Kurukshetra for educating the people and Mr Ramesh Dudani of Mumbai for promoting tourism activities in the state. |
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Sabha chief: CM has hurt Rajputs Dharamsala, June 18 Col Rajput said the refusal came at the last moment when the sabha had already circulated the name of Chief Minister as chief guest. He said it was all the more hurting as Mr Dhumal was at Nurpur that day and did not have any pressing engagement. He said it appeared that political manoeuvring by certain BJP leaders close to the Chief Minister led to the refusal as Mr Digvijay Singh, a former Union Minister who is also the president of the Akhil Bhartiya Kshatriya Sabha, was presiding over the function and happens to be a Congress leader. Despite Chief Minister’s staying away from the function, people came in large numbers to make it a success, he claimed. |
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Scooterist killed in mishap Dharamsala, June, 18 According to Mr N.D. Sareen, Additional SP, Kangra, scooterist Rachhpal Singh collided with a private bus (HP 38-5065) which was on its way from Nagrota-Surian to Dehra and died on the spot. His body was handed over to the family after a post-mortem examination. The Dehra police has arrested the driver of the bus and registered a case against him. The bus was impounded. |
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